Project LOOKING-GLASS, as Walls' reports explained to me, was the continuing study not just of Fossil-Type SHALOTT, but of a Fossil-Type LAMIA. Both were Fossils that had only recently been discovered and researchers are still in the process of pinning down if they are actually separate Fossils or merely the same Fossil in a different form (similar to FT-PASSACAGLIA).

I had read all the reports, including the report of its capture, but when I walked in the room, I was still expecting something like FTH00008, something that looked inhuman.

Instead, Subject FTL00002 looked perfectly human. She's... actually very pretty. It disconcerted me for a while. She sat on a chair behind a large clear plastic wall. She could see me and I could see her.

"Don't be fooled by appearances," Doctor Walls said. He had entered the room while I was looking at the subject. "She's still a Fossil. Observe."

He hit a switch on the wall. Harsh lights lit up on the ceiling and walls. The subject recoiled and there was a flash and suddenly she wasn't a pretty woman anymore. Her entire lower half was as a long golden snake, coiled around the room. Her face had patches of scales on it and I could see what looked like fangs. Then the lights went off and there was another flash and she looked normal again.

"We're not sure how it changes," Doctor Walls said. "It may or may not obey the law of conservation of mass. Or it may employ some sort of perception filter."

"Interesting," I mumbled. "How did we manage to capture... it?"

"Sorry, that's above your pay grade, Cloud," Wall said. "You're just going to study her."

"Alright then."

I looked in at her and she looked back and smiled.

I am having trouble with this assignment. I am not sure why. Is it because she looks so human? It is because she looks like a young woman?

I keep having to remind myself that she is, in fact, a Fossil.

She occasionally talks and sometimes sings. I have recorded both, but her voice shows no special properties. So far, the only unusual things I have noticed are the snake attributes, which appear during moments of stress and panic. I wonder if it is involuntary?

I need to do something else. FTH0008 played its hand after it showed me a blog; perhaps FTL00002 will do the same.

I have decided to give her a blog.

I hope this leads to something tangible.

She disappeared today.

When I arrived at the cell, she was gone. I checked the video logs, but there was a bright patch - a moment where a lens flare completely obscured the camera - and then she was gone.

I was about to open the cell and look inside when I saw a glimmer. A gleam.

A ripple in the air.

And I knew. She hadn't disappeared. I thought we had removed all mirrored surfaces, but of course we couldn't. How could we? She's covered in scales. Mirrored scales.

They must make her effectively invisible, able to blend into any surrounding. She can look completely human if she wants, but then she can become a creature of stealth. A snake in the grass.

When I figured it out, she laughed and reappeared, her scales twisting and revealing themselves before retreating back into her skin.

"Almost had you," she said in a playful tone.

As if we were playing a game.

1/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject slept most of the day.

2/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject slept most of the day.

3/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject slept most of the day.

4/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject played with food prior to eating it. Seemed to derive enjoyment from watching the rat squirm. Other than that, subject slept most of the day.

5/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject slept most of the day.

6/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject slept most of the day.

7/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject slept most of the day.

8/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject slept most of the day.

9/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject slept most of the day.

10/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject slept most of the day.

11/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject slept most of the day.

12/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject slept most of the day.

13/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject appeared fully human before reverting back to the normal visage of the Fossil-Type LAMIA. Unknown as to why. Subject slept most of the day.

14/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject slept most of the day.

15/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject slept most of the day.

16/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject slept most of the day

17/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject appeared in their human form again. This time she stripped off her clothes. She was instructed to put her clothes back on, but she declared that they were "itchy." Clothes were discarded. Subject then reverted back to the normal visage of the Fossil-Type LAMIA. Subject slept for most of the day in the nude.

18/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject slept most of the day.

19/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject slept most of the day.

20/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject slept most of the day.

21/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject appeared in human form again. This time she declared that she was bored and asked for something to pass the time. I have input a request for Genera-approved literature.

22/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject slept most of the day.

23/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: request for Genera-approved literature was approved. First shipment of books arrived and subject was asked which one she wished to read. Subject stated "Surprise me." Subject was passed Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift. Subject then read for several hours before sleeping.

24/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject read for five hours, on-and-off, sleeping for the rest of the day.

25/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject read for five hours, on-and-off, sleeping for the rest of the day.

26/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject finished reading Gulliver's Travels and asked for a new book. Subject was passed Moby-Dick by Herman Melville. Subject then read for several hours before sleeping.

27/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject read for five hours, on-and-off, sleeping for the rest of the day.

28/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject read for five hours, on-and-off, sleeping for the rest of the day.

29/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject finished reading Mody-Dick and requested a new book. Subject was passed The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym by Edgar Allan Poe. Subject read for several hours before sleeping.

30/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject read for five hours, on-and-off, sleeping for the rest of the day.

31/7/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject read for five hours, on-and-off, sleeping for the rest of the day.

1/8/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject read for five hours, on-and-off, sleeping for the rest of the day.

2/8/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject finished The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym and requested a new book. Subject appeared in their human form while asking and remained in their human form for the rest of the day. Subject was passed Vathek by William Beckford. Subject read for several hours before sleeping

3/8/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject read for five hours, on-and-off, sleeping for the rest of the day.

4/8/2012

• 8 AM: breakfast (1 live rat)
• 1 PM: lunch (1 live rat)
• 7 PM: dinner (1 live rat)
• Notable occurrences: subject read for five hours, on-and-off, sleeping for the rest of the day.

It happened yesterday after lunch. After Subject FTL00002 - screw it, Proserpine - had eaten her lunchtime rat. (Curiously, she was still looking fully human - she had been staying in that form longer and longer since Thursday.) She picked up her book, read the last page, and then stood up.

"I'm done," she said.

"Do you want your next book now?" I asked through the intercom.

"No, I'm done," she said. "Not just with the book, but with this experiment." She approached the glass.

"I'm afraid that's not up to you," I said. "Please remain at your seat." She ignored the request.

"Not your experiment," she said. "Mother's little experiment. She wanted to know more about this place, about the things you did here. Ants in an anthill, she said. Never knowing when the Night Owl will strike..."

"What did you say?" I asked. "Please repeat what you said."

She smiled at me and her teeth grew into fangs and then retracted again as she drew closer to the glass. "You're a scientist, Doctor Cloud," she said. "You know what the observer effect is, don't you?"

"Yes," I said. "But could you-"

She interrupted me: "By observing something, you change it. The mere act of looking changes the entire system, throws everything off course. Unless, of course, the thing you are watching doesn't know you are watching them."

She touched the glass with her fingertips and then her fingers went through the glass and she climbed into the observation booth and I realized how goddamn stupid we all were. We had removed every single mirror, but we needed a way to see her - we needed a window. And a window is just a mirror you can see through...

I backed away, but she was faster than I could have imagined - she blocked the entrance before I could even take two steps. I went to push the panic button, but she grabbed my hand. She still looked human, but I could feel the strength - she could rip me apart if she wished. I hoped that she didn't.

She held my neck with one hand and asked, "Why did you choose those books?"

"I don't know."

"They are about men," she said, "men who seek adventure, excitement, knowledge. And do you know how they are rewarded for their thirst? They are punished for their pride, for their arrogance. Do you see yourself as one of these men? As Gulliver disgusted with humanity? As Ishmael, caught in someone else's hubris? Or perhaps as poor Arthur, never quite knowing what's happening or where he is?"

Her tongue extended and became forked and I recoiled. "It's the last book that intrigues me, though," she said. "A man seeks supernatural powers and in the end is dragged to hell. Is this how you see yourself? Or someone else perhaps?" She smiled again and I felt sick.

"Don't worry," she said. "I'm not going to hurt you. It's much more fun seeing you hurt yourselves, seeing you frantically run around or simply squirm..." She let go of my hand and neck and I immediately hit the panic button. Red lights flashed around use and the sirens echoed in the room. Then Proserpine said something I couldn't hear and went back through the window and was gone.

And I was left alone in the red-lit room.

I've submitted my report to Doctor Walls and gone through an extensive debriefing session. I've told them everything that Proserpine told me. My hands shook as I handed over the report and he recommend I take a break.

I think that's a good idea. A break might... ease my mind. I haven't been sleeping that much and a vacation might just be the thing to do.

Because I can't seem to get Proserpine's words out of my head:

Ants on an anthill. Never knowing when the Night Owl will strike...